The details of the new projects that FFC Ricerca has chosen to fund over the next three years, with a total investment of € 2,139,090, are now available on our website.
Fourteen studies have been selected this year and will start in September. They aim to optimise existing therapies, develop new ones and investigate various aspects of the disease, with the goal of improving the quality of life of people with cystic fibrosis (CF). In 2025, 13 projects from the annual call for proposals will be supported, along with one project from the Gianni Mastella Starting Grant (GMSG) call for researchers under 40.
In total, the number of initiatives funded by the Foundation rises to 509.
The 14 projects for 2025 were selected through a peer review process involving the Scientific Management and the FFC Ricerca Scientific Committee, together with international experts. This year, the Foundation received 58 applications from the annual call for proposals and 12 from the Gianni Mastella call for proposals.The selected projects fall within four FFC Ricerca’s areas of interest: Innovative therapies and approaches to correct the underlying genetic defect; Therapies for bronchopulmonary infection; Therapies for lung inflammation; Clinical and epidemiological research.
The winner of the Gianni Mastella Starting Grant: Marta Mellini
The call for proposals named after Prof. Gianni Mastella, a pioneer of Italian research on cystic fibrosis, co-founder of FFC Ricerca and our Scientific Director until his passing in 2021, aims to support young researchers who focus their research on the study of CF.
The winner of the GMSG 2025 is Dr Marta Mellini, a researcher at the Department of Science at Roma Tre University. Her three-year project, GMSG#1/2025, will focus on the design of synthetic antimicrobial molecules to circumvent the problem of bacterial drug resistance.
Discover the 13 projects in the annual call for proposals
Innovative therapies and approaches to correct the underlying genetic defect
Six projects have been funded in this area. Project FFC#1/2025 will investigate the mechanisms of tissue damage and repair in CF to reduce long-term complications, including tumours; project FFC#2/2025 aims to develop RNA-based gene therapies to correct stop and splicing mutations; project FFC#3/2025 proposes to develop gene therapy technology based on molecules called base editors and transporters to deliver them to the lung epithelium; project FFC#4/2025 aims to study combinations of molecules that can restore the function of CFTR carrying stop mutations; project FFC#5/2025 will deepen our understanding of the PKD1 protein as an enhancer of CFTR modulators; finally, project FFC#6/2025 will evaluate the efficacy of Esc peptides with the dual role of CFTR enhancers and antimicrobial agents.
Bronchopulmonary infection therapies
Projects in this area focus on the development of new compounds against bacteria that cause serious infections in CF: specifically, this year, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mycobacterium abscessus. There are five projects in this area, in addition to project GMSG#1/2025.
Two projects focus on P. aeruginosa: project FFC#7/2025 aims to validate the functionality of the molecule aztreopine by exploiting the bacterium’s zinc absorption mechanism as a Trojan horse, while project FFC#10/2025 proposes to develop inhibitors of P. aeruginosa virulence factors to make it easier to eliminate.
The other three projects in this area concern M. abscessus. Project FFC#8/2025 aims to optimise microparticles called bioactive liposomes containing antibiotic molecules to act on both bacterial infection and inflammation in the host; project FFC#9/2025 aims to identify the genes involved in the persistence of M. abscessus to develop targeted therapies; finally, project FFC#11/2025 aims to improve the delivery and activity of the VOMG molecule, that was previously identified and has antimicrobial activity.
Therapies for pulmonary inflammation
This area includes one project, FFC#12/2025, which aims to analyse the immune response to infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria, in order to develop personalised treatments.
Clinical and epidemiological research
In this area, project FFC#13/2024 will be funded to analyse microorganisms present in faeces to check for the presence of respiratory bacteria.
The FFC Ricerca 2025 projects
The 14 new projects are now available for adoption. Adopting a project means supporting progress in cystic fibrosis research, which has already led to significant advances in the treatment of the disease. Despite the results achieved, there is still a long way to go: it is crucial to find new therapies for bacterial infections, identify strategies to treat chronic inflammation, develop personalised therapies, find new methods to correct the underlying defect and address the new challenges posed by the increased life expectancy of people with CF.
In supporting this research, FFC Ricerca is committed to finding a cure for all, improving the quantity and quality of life of people with CF.
For information and funding, please contact
Caterina Novaria: caterina.novaria@fibrosicisticaricerca.it | 045 8127029
